Staff Book Pick

by Meg Rosoff
Possibly one of the most talked about books of the year, Meg Rosoff's novel for young adults is the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2004. Heralded by some as the next best adult crossover novel since Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Rosoff's story begins in modern day London, slightly in the future, and asits heroine has a 15-year-old Manhattanite called Daisy. She's picked up at the airport by Edmond, her English cousin, a boy in whose life she is destined to become intricately entwined. Daisy stays at her Aunt Penn's country farmhouse for the summer with Edmond and her other cousins. Butt their world changes forever when an unnamed aggressor invades England and begins a years-long occupation. Rosoff's writing style is both brilliant and frustrating. Her descriptions are wonderful, as is her ability to portray the emotions of her characters. Her narrative is deeply engaging and yet a bit unbelievable. The book has a raw, unfinished feel about it, yet that some how adds to the experience of reading it.